


A Christmas Challenge

by emynn (orphan_account)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Established Relationship, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-11
Updated: 2013-12-11
Packaged: 2018-01-04 07:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/emynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry has developed the most unusual craving, and Severus is not about to let him down now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Christmas Challenge

**Author's Note:**

> Written for adventdrabbles 2013 Prompt 10: Christmas Waffles. I drew my own inspiration from [here](http://www.rutherfordfamilyhappenings.blogspot.com/2011/12/decorating-christmas-tree.html)

“Harry?” Severus pressed cautious lips to the back of his husband’s head. “How are you feeling?”

Harry grumbled into his pillow.

Severus sighed, but not loudly enough for Harry to hear. He didn’t have a death wish, after all. “How about some breakfast?”

“Can’t,” Harry said. “Sick.”

“Yes, I know,” Severus said. Indeed, Harry, and by extension Severus, had been up since three in the morning. Apparently morning sickness didn’t care if it was a reasonable hour to strike. “But you need to eat something. For the babies.”

“The babies hate me,” Harry muttered. “Don’t know why. I show them nothing but love, and I’m rewarded with nausea, an aching back, no sleep – ”

“Yes, well,” Severus interjected. He’d learned it was best to cut these tirades off early. He’d found that if he was able to stop Harry’s chain of everything that was wrong with being pregnant before he broached the topic of his bladder, he was usually fairly successful in steering the conversation to a more pleasant topic. 

Once talk turned to the bladder, Severus knew all hope was lost. At least for the next several hours, anyhow. And these days, sometimes several hours felt like a lifetime.

“How about this?” Severus said. “You get in the bath, and I’ll make a nice pot of weak tea. And then maybe something small to nibble on.”

Harry nodded. “Waffles,” he said.

Severus blinked, bracing himself. Harry could go from “I can’t eat a thing” to “I will eat everything in our house as well as the neighbour’s and would you mind stopping by the store” in four seconds. “Any particular type?”

“Christmas waffles,” Harry said. He drew himself out of bed and threw on his dressing gown.

“And by that, you mean…”

“You know,” Harry said. “Christmas waffles. ‘Tis the season, after all. Fa la la la la, and all that.”

“Fa la la la la,” Severus agreed, and watched as Harry waddled off for his bath.

As soon as he heard the door close, Severus rushed downstairs. He’d dealt with all kinds of cravings from Harry the past seven months – goulash, pumpkin pasties, crystallised pineapple coated in melted Chocolate frogs – there was nothing too terribly shocking. He’d been fortunate that most of Harry’s desired foods were fairly easy to procure. But Christmas waffles? Severus had never even heard of such a thing.

And so he found himself doing the thing he always dreaded above anything else: Flooing Molly Weasley.

“Severus!” she exclaimed. “How are you? How is Harry?”

“Harry is hungry,” Severus said quickly, not wanting to be drawn into conversation. “For some preposterous item known as ‘Christmas waffles.’ I trust you know what those are.”

“I can’t say I do,” Molly said, frowning. “I don’t usually serve waffles at Christmas. Our family always preferred pancakes. Now, I _do_ make a delicious apple and brie pancake that Harry loves… oh, but he can’t eat soft cheese…”

“He also wants _waffles_ , not pancakes,” Severus snapped. “I had assumed it was one of your family traditions he had suddenly latched on to. But if you have no ideas –”

“Well, perhaps he only means flavours reminiscent of Christmas,” Molly said. “Gingerbread, perhaps. I believe I’ve seen a recipe for gingerbread waffles. Do you have a quill, dear?”

“Harry hates gingerbread,” Severus said, and closed the Floo connection.

He’d pay for that later, but this was an emergency. Harry likely wouldn’t be comfortable in the bath for longer than another twenty minutes, thirty if Severus was lucky, and he needed those blasted waffles.

He had only one other hope. 

“Severus!” Draco said. “What a pleasant surprise. I didn’t realise Potter let you out these days.”

Severus glared at him, and Draco chuckled. For all his words, Severus knew Draco was simply having a laugh. Harry and Draco had grown to be decent friends over the years, even though Draco was currently two weeks into a month-long ban from the house after a poorly timed comment on the ever-burgeoning size of Harry’s waistline. Severus wasn’t entirely sure how serious Harry was about that order, but both he and Draco had decided not to test it.

“I need your help,” Severus said. “Harry wants Christmas waffles. Do you know of any restaurant that specialises in such a travesty of cuisine?”  
“Christmas waffles?” Draco stroked his chin. “Well, Gemma’s Bistro does have a rather nice Christmas brunch, and they’re known for their pecan pie topped waffles. Could that be it?”

Severus shook his head. “Harry hates Gemma’s. He thinks it’s filled with pretentious twats.”

“Well, as he said when he threw me out last month, he’s not eating for himself; he’s eating for the babies. Perhaps your children are going to be pretentious twats.”

Severus growled. “So help me Merlin, I’ll ban you for another month, _and_ alter the wards on the house to give you a pleasant shock if you so much as pass a breath in here.”

Draco held up his hands. “My apologies. Fine. No Gemma’s. Did you think that perhaps you’re over thinking this? This _is_ Harry, after all.”

“Draco, I warned you – ”

“I’m not saying this to insult him,” Draco said quickly. “I only mean that this is your husband. You know his tastes, what makes him happy. Perhaps it’s something very simple.”

“I know his tastes when he’s not carrying around our unborn children,” Severus said. “And those children appear to exist to want to challenge their fathers.”

“I would expect no less, being the product of the two of you,” Draco said. “Now, I’m afraid I have an appointment. And it looks like you need to make some waffles.”

After saying goodbye to Draco, Severus pulled out the waffle iron and began to think.

Harry loved waffles. He always ordered them when they went out for brunch. Even when pregnant, Harry still ate them fairly regularly. Nothing ever too elaborate… just some waffles and fresh fruit, perhaps with some bacon. 

A thought crossed Severus’ mind – a mad, wild, crazy thought. 

He glanced at the clock. Yes, he could do this.

He was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t even hear Harry come down the stairs to join him in the kitchen. “Hey,” Harry said, wrapping an arm around Severus’ waist. “What do you have there?”

“One second,” Severus said. He aimed his wand at the waffles and whispered a spell under his breath. The effect was revolting and magnificent all at once. “Bon appétit.”

Harry’s delighted gasp was worth it.

“You actually made it!” Harry exclaimed. “Merlin, Severus. I was still half asleep and delirious when I said that, and you actually made it.”

Severus had to admit, as far as Christmas waffles went, it would be difficult to top this. He’d started with the traditional waffle recipe, the only addition being some extra cinnamon and nutmeg as a nod to the season. When the waffle was cut into four triangles with rounded bottoms, spelled green, and then placed over a crispy strip of bacon, it very much resembled the Christmas tree that was sitting in their living room. Severus had then decorated the waffle tree with some fresh raspberries and blueberries, topped it with a star shaped out of pieces of pineapple, and then sprinkled the entire dish with powdered sugar.

“It looks just like snow,” Harry said, a wide grin upon his face. He turned to Severus and kissed him firmly on the lips. “You’re amazing. Did you know that?”

“It was nothing,” Severus said, but even he knew he wasn’t entirely able to suppress a pleased smile. 

“No, it was very much something,” Harry said as Severus helped him into a chair. “I know I’ve been difficult to live with the past few months. And you just go above and beyond to make me happy. More than I ever could have thought.” He shook his head. “You don’t have to lie to me, Severus. I _know_ I’ve been obnoxious, with all sorts of ridiculous demands and complaints. But it only seems to drive you on _more_. How does that even happen?”

Severus leaned down, resting one hand on Harry’s belly. A friendly kick greeted him. Smiling, he pressed his lips to Harry’s cheek. 

“Fortunately, Harry, I do love a good challenge.”


End file.
